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2013 Australian Football Awards

The FFA Australian Football Awards are scheduled for 13th of November 2013 and is attended by the who's who of the football fraternity.

The Football Federation Australia, Australian Football Awards are scheduled for the 13th of November 2013. These awards celebrate and commend the best soccer teams, players and coaches from around the country each year and the event is attended by the who's who of the football fraternity. Some of last year-s presenters included Alessandro Del Piero, Central Coast Mariners Coach, Graham Arnold and the then Socceroo Head Coach, Holga Osiek.

Last year was the inaugural award for Pararoo Football Player of the Year. An award presented to long time Paralympic Football player, Chris Pyne from the western suburbs of Sydney.

This Year another local lad, James Turner, has the possibility of taking out the award. James will be competing, for the award with three other Pararoo players, which include: Chris Barty (WA), Scott Kennedy (QLD) and Ryan Kinner from South Australia.

James is only 17 years old, but has represented his state and his country on a number of occasions. This included representing NSW at the Paralympic Football Nationals and Australia at the Intercontinental Cup in Barcelona, Spain in August.

James Turner was part of the NSW Team that won the Gold medal at the Paralympic Football Nationals that took place in Coffs Harbour earlier in the Year. It was the first time that The Paralympic Football Nationals had been played in conjunction with the Qantas, Boy's National Championships.

Turner has been a member of the Pararoo squad since 2009 and has been capped 16 times. He was named Player of the tournament at the 2013 Paralympic Football Nationals in September.

"James has pace to burn and he gets forward on the overlap to worry defenders in their third. He has the potential to be one of the best players that Australia has ever produced if he stays on the path that he is at present" said Head Pararoo Coach, Paul Brown.

Australia has had a National Paralympic Football Team since the Sydney Olympics and are currently ranked 10th in the world just missing out on London Olympic qualification. The squad is currently preparing for internationals against Canada, Mexico and the USA to be played mid way through next season. These internationals will be played to help prepare for the Paralympic World Championships, the qualification tournament for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

"We have a good squad of players and a good development program in each state now said Brown. "We are always on the look-out for other players with Cerebral Palsy or Acquired Brain Injury, especially football players that have slight symptoms of spasticity."